The Ghazi Attack is a
sincere naval war drama where actors like Rana, Kay Kay Menon and Atul Kulkarni
have given their heart and soul. How frequently do we get war films? And that
too a film about a Naval War? Very rarely! But, The Ghazi Attack comes as a treat to
mark the India's first ever movie based on war-at-sea and portrays the feeling
of patriotism and courage among the soldiers abroad the INS Vikrant.

This docudrama, set in
the backdrop of the 1971 Indo-Pak war, reveals the unknown truths and
circumstances about how the Indian Navy destroyed PNS Ghazi after running an 18
day mission underwater. The mission led under the command of Captain Ranvijay
Singh (Kay Kay Menon) violates the rules that agitates Arjun Varma (played by Rana
Daggubati), a Lieutenant Commander. They both have difference in opinions as
Captain Ranvijay is a stern officer who always intends to attack PNS Ghazi. But
Arjun doesn't want the Indian navy to attack first as it may trigger yet another
war. However, Ranvijay gets his things done with the dubious support of Devraj (Atul
Kulkarni), who is the Executive officer. However, when one of Indian Navy’s
'torpedo' against PNS Ghazi fails, the enemy gets alarmed about our presence
and the war starts between the both of them. Later Captain Ranvijay dies when
INS Vikrant hits a land mine set by PNS Ghazi. Arjun then takes the position of
Captain and leads the INS 21. What ensues is a chilling naval encounter that
may change the very fate of history.

Kay Kay Menon stuns
everyone with a breathtaking performance, personating as a stern Captain. At
first, his temperament is showcased as close-minded, but later we get to know
his intention and ideology. For me, it's the Kay Kay Menon who is the real hero
of the movie. On the other hand, Rana Daggubati is a predominant commander and
risks his life to make the mission success in the end. Atul Kulkarni is
another central character the film revolves around; he gets brushed by the
affecting orders of Captain Ranvijay. He changes hats according to the
situations and leaves an impact with this inspiring film. Tapsee is a misfit in
the film and it’s like pushing her into a role which at no given point didn't
test her credibility. Late veteran actor Om Puri appears in a small yet apt
role while Satyadev Kancharana grabs everyone's attention as a sonar operator,
passing crucial information to the officers.

As it’s impossible to
narrate the film precisely, the writers have blended fiction in a convincing fashion
and besides, they don't made it look exaggerated. Gunnam Gangaraju is back
after a very long time, writing some nostalgic dialogues which will stir your
soul with patriotism. The dialogue, especially, which comes in second half when
Rana takes the lead and tries to trigger the crew with his stimulating message,
I am quite sure you won’t forgot this scene even after coming out of the
theater.

Debutant Sankalp Reddy
has handled a very complicated film at the very beginning of his career; we
hardly can see flaws in the execution. And it seems most of the scenes
conceived in the film are adopted from his book 'Ghazi'. There's so much ahead
for him in films. Furthermore, Madhie's experience lessens the job of the
debutant. His cutting edge visuals either inside the submarine or underwater
are appealing. The film's running length is a major asset for the movie and
kudos to the multiple National Award-winner Sreekar Prasad. Moreover, the
second half of the movie, which is very gripping, will make you sit at edge of
the seat with the intense suspense war scenes.

Also, with the Telugu
version of the film packing a punch, it’s the right time for the typical
viewers of Tollywood to raise their hands and support for a film like. The team
has put in a wholehearted effort to chronicle a story that many of us don’t
know and at the same time made it look authentic with the budget they are
provided, making it easily the best to come from Telugu cinema in the recent times.

You cannot afford to
miss this war drama which tells an unheard story, and which needs your
compassion. Please buy your time to watch this underwater tale. Two thumbs up
for the entire team of The Ghazi Attack.

QR Code

About Editor-In-Chief

Murtaza Ali Khan is an independent film critic, journalist, columnist, and blogger based out of New Delhi, India. He is the Founder/Editor-in-Chief of the award-winning entertainment blog A Potpourri of Vestiges. He is the Co-Founder of Ed Wood Productions. He has been writing movie reviews at IMDb for over seven years. He is a Columnist at The Huffington Post. He is a Guest Columnist at Cafe Dissensus (New York) and has contributed to publications like The Hindu, The Quint, and DailyO. Previously, he has also contributed to sites like Desimartini and Jamurra Blog. He is also on the guest panel for live discussions on the television channel News X.